NC State Basketball Shows Up Again for Five-Star Point Guard

NC State Basketball Back in the Mix for Five-Star Point Guard

Will Wade and his rising NC State basketball recruiting team may be on the brink of making a serious push for five-star point guard Deron Rippey Jr.

A few weeks ago, NC State coaches visited Blair Academy (N.J.) to evaluate Rippey, a top 2026 recruit who ranks No. 19 overall and No. 5 among point guards on the 247Sports Composite. The 6-foot-2, 175-pound guard has also mentioned NC State among the schools that have been reaching out to him the most during his recruitment.

“Off The Dribble” w/ Deron Rippey Jr. @NewHeightsNYC | @adidasHoops pic.twitter.com/yCAVsrcfoq

— 3Stripes Select Basketball (@3SSBCircuit) May 17, 2025

So, it’s no surprise that at least one member of Wade’s staff was in attendance this weekend, watching Rippey perform for New Heights at the 3SSB session in Council Bluffs, Iowa. As reported by HS Top Recruits on Saturday, NC State was joined by coaches from powerhouse programs like Duke, UNC, Kentucky, UConn, Virginia, Kansas, Alabama, Arkansas, Texas, Illinois, Michigan State, Miami, and Louisville, among many others.

2026 5⭐️ Deron Rippey Jr (@rippey_deron) is having a great session 2 of the 3SSB Circuit!

G1- 17pts, 4rebs & 2asts
G2- 21pts, 4rebs, 4stls &3asts
G3- 9pts

He had HC’s from the following programs in:

Duke
UConn
Louisville
Texas
Texas Tech
Miami

AC’s from the following:

Kansas… pic.twitter.com/INMJA71FOP

— HS Top Recruits (@HSTopRecruiting) May 18, 2025

Through three games against top-tier competition, Rippey has been averaging 15.7 points per game, while also standing out for his rebounding ability. His speed and knack for creating steals and disrupting plays on defense have further impressed scouts and coaches alike.

Although NC State hasn’t yet secured a commitment from any 2026 prospects, it’s still early in the recruiting cycle.